Seal-lock



J. B. PRICE.

(No Model.)

SEAL LOCK.

No. 483,867. Patented 001;. 4, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. PRICE, OF WOLLASTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEAL-LOG K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,867, dated October 4, 1892,

Application illecl March 30, 1892. Serial No. 427,110. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHNB. PRICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVollaston, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts,haveinvented certain new and useful In provements in Seal-Locks; and I do hereby dc clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a seal-lock, preferably made in the form of a padlock and adapted to be used particularly for sealing railway freight-cars.

In my improved look I arrange and combine a seal-rupturing device with the lockingholt or its operating mechanism in the peculiar manner hereinafter fully pointed out, so that the slightest movement of the bolt, should an attempt be made to tamper with the lock, will be indicated on the seal, which is visible through a viewing-openin g provided in the lock-casing.

The invention further consists in the combination, with a circularly-moving bolt, of movable tumblers adapted to be operated by the wards on a key and each having two nibs or shoulders, and so pivoted in relation to the bolt that a spring acts to normally force one nib or shoulder into engagement with the bolt to hold the same from movement until released by the key, the other nib or shoulder on the tumbler being brought into engagement with the bolt should an attempt be made to pick the lock and the tumbler be forced by the pick or implement a trifle too far out of its proper position, thus materially increasing the security of the lock by making it more difficult of access, except by the manipulation of the proper key.

The invention further consists in the novel combination of devices and peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face View of the operating parts of the lock with one of the plates and the seal removed, showing the bolt retracted. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the lock, illustrating the position of the parts when the bolt'is partly shot or forced across the haspopening. Fig. 3 is a view showing the bolt fully shot and the sealrupturing device returned to its normal position. Fig. 4: is a sectional view on the line w a: of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the seal-rupturing device detached from the lock. Fig. 6 is a detail edge view of the key used in my lock.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawlngs.

A designates the case of the lock, which is preferably made circular in form, and in its upper side this lock-casing is provided with a hasp-receiving opening I), in which may be fitted the perforated end of an ordinary hasp B, pivoted to the lock-casing in the usual way of padlocks; but it is not necessary to use the hasp, and I do not restrict myself to such use and particular adaptation of parts.

Within the lock-casing is the central pillarplate 0, which is preferably circular in form to conform to the perimeter of the lock-casing, and this pillar-plate is of less diameter than the casing, so that an annular groove 01' way 0 is formed by and between the casing and pillar-plate. In this annular groove or way is fitted a circular bolt D, which has an opening din one side, so that the bolt is doubleended. This bolt is adapted to move freely in the annular groove or way and around the pillar-plate when it is not restrained by the I tumblers, and the pillar-plate thus serves as the center around which the bolt turns. In the bolt opposite to the opening or slot therein is provided a recess or cut-out part d to admit of the passage of the key into the lock to operate the tumblers, and this key passes through an opening or aperture 6 in the lower side of the lock-casing opposite to the haspreceiving opening. The circularlymoving bolt is further provided with two notches or indentations ff, which are formed on the inner edge of the bolt and are arranged asuitable distance from each other, for a purpose to be explained.

G G are the tumblers, any desired number of which may be employed. The tumblers, as usual, are placed one upon the other, and they are pivoted at intermediate points of their length by a single pivot-pin g, which passes through the tumblers and is fastened in the pillar-plate, as shown. One end of each tumbler is bent, as at g, to lie in line'with the key-opening, so that the proper ward of the key will have contact with' the tumbler when the key is inserted, and each tumbleris further provided with two nibs or shoulders h h, one being located at the rear end of the tumbler on one side of the fulcrum and the other being on the edge of the tumbler on the other side of its fulcrum. The tumblers are held in normal position by springs H, which bear against the edges of the tumblers and operate to force the shoulders ornibs it into the notch f in the bolt when the latter is shot or projected across the hasp-receiving opening, and thereby restrain or hold the bolt from being retracted. I attach importance to the tumblers provided with the nibs or shoulders h at their inner ends and to the arrangement of the nibs or shoulders in juxtaposition to the notch f in the bolt when the latter is projected, as the shoulders will take or be forced into the notch should the tumbler be thrown or adjusted beyond the proper dis 7 will add materially to the security of the lock as it is not easily opened, except when the proper key is used.

In the center of the pillar-plate is provided a fiXed ring or boss I, which aligns with similar openings in an inside plate and a hinged protection or face-plate presently referred to, and in one side of this boss or annulus is provided a recess 2', in which fitsa lever J, which, with its spur and detent,constitutes the sealrupturing device. This lever J is pivoted outside of the open boss or annulus I on the fulcrum or shaft j, which is fixed in the pillar-plate, and the end of the lever within the boss is provided with a spur or tooth j, which projects above or beyond the upper edge of the boss and is adapted to penetrate the seal K, which is placed over the boss or annulus. The seal-rupturing lever is held in a position so that its spur or tooth is at one side of the boss or annulus by means of a coiled spring L, one end of which is fastened to the pillarplate and the other end to the inner free end of the seal-rupturing lever, as shown. This seal-ruptu ring lever is adapted to be operated by the slightest movement of the circularlymoving bolt D, so that evidence will be given of any attempt to tamperwith the lock, and when the bolt is moved to either its projected or retracted positions this seal-rupturing le- Ver is returned to its normal position by its spring, so that it is always ready for use. To permit the seal-lever to be returned to its normal position after the bolt has been projected, I employ a trip or detent M, which is means of a pressure-spring m. One end of the trip is provided with a right-angled lip.

'n, which takes or bears against one edge of the seal-rupturing lever at one side of the pivot or fulcrum of the plate, so that when the trip is moved by the bolt the lever J will be forced around with said trip or detent, the latter having its other end arranged in the path ofthe end of the bolt. The trip is adapted to be moved by impinging against the bolt when the latter is projected; but such movement of the trip on projection of the bolt does not affect the seal-rupturing plate. When the bolt is moved so as to retract it, no matter however slight the movement, the end of the bolt strikes the free end of the trip, forcing the latter and the seal-rupturing lever around and causing the tooth or spur to be forced across the seal to rupture or fracture the same. 7

The operating parts of the lock are concealed from view and protected when the outside plate is opened by an inside plate 0, which is suitably secured to the lock-casing in any preferable way, and said inside plate is provided with a central opening 0, which aligns with the annulus or hollow boss Within the lock proper. The seal, of any material as, for instance, paper or other friable material-is placed over or across the openspur on the seal-rupturing lever is of sufficient length to penetrate this seal when the parts are in operative position. .The inside plate and the seal are covered by means of Y ingio in the inside plate and the tooth or.

said keeper having an opening through which the end of the bolt is adapted to pass when the bolt is projected or shot, so that the outside plate is confined or held in position on the look. This outside. protection-plate is also provided with a central opening g, which is covered by a glass or other transparent pane q, through which the seal is visible from the outside of the lock.

The bolt is adapted to be projected or retracted manually by means of a stud or thumb-piece 0", which is fixed to the bolt and operates in a segmental slot 0" in one edge of the case, the bolt serving to keep this slot closed, so that access cannot be had to the operating parts of the look through this slot for the operating thumb-piece to work in.

This being theiconstruction of my invention, the operation may be briefly described as follows: The tumblers having been thrown by the key out of engagement with the bolt, the latter can be easily retracted by simply manipulating the thumb-piece, thus releasing the keeper of the protection-plate from engagement with the bolt. The outside protection-plate can be lifted or raised and the seal can be placed lover the opening in the inside plate and so that the tooth or spurj' penetrates the seal, after which the plate is lowered or folded against the lock-casing and its keeper enters the hasp-receiving opening in the path of the end of the circularly-moving bolt. The hasp or staple can now 'be fitted or thrust into the receiving-opening in the lock-casing and the bolt can be moved around by its thumb-piece, so that it will be projected across the slot and into the hasp or staple. Such movement of the bolt, however, does not affect the position of the sealrupturing lever, because the end of the bolt simply impinges against the free end of the trip or detent, which moves its lip away from the seal-rupturing plate, and thus the lock can be connected to the door without causing the seal-rupturing lever to destroy the seal. To open the lock, it is only necessary to insert the key in the opening and bring its wards against the ends of the tumblers, which are thereby moved to disengage the lips or shoulders h from the notches f in the bolt, and

the latter can be retracted, such retrograde movement bringing the end of the bolt into engagement with the free end of the trip, which moves its lip against the seal-rupturing lever, thus turning the detent and sealplate and the continued movement of the bolt causing the seal-rupturing lever to force its spur across the seal, effectually rupturing or destroying the seal when the bolt is retracted. As soon as the bolt has moved far enough to force the spur of the seal-lever across the annulus and seal the trip is disengaged from the bolt and the seal-lever and trip are returned by the spring to their normal positions. As has been explained, any attempt to open the lock by a pick or other implement will operate to force the tumblers so far from their proper positions that the nibs or shoulders h will engage with the notch f in the bolt, thus locking the same against movement.

I am aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and details of construction of the mechanism herein shown and described as an embodiment of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make such alterations and modifications as fairly fall within the scope of the invention.

Having thus fully explained the nature of my invention and in what the same consists, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l 1. In a seal-lock, the combination of a circularly-moving bolt and a seal-rupturing mechanism independent of the bolt and adapted to be operated thereby only when the bolt is retracted, as and for the purpose described.

2. In a seal-lock, the combination of acircularly-moving bolt, the tumblers, and a sealrupturing device independent of the bolt and having a part which is arranged to be operated by the bolt when it is retracted and which permits the rupturing device to remain at rest as the bolt is projected, as and for the purpose described.

3. In a seal-lock, the combination, with bolt, of a seal-rupturing lever having a tooth or spur adapted to destroy the seal as the lever is operated, means for holding the seal in juxtaposition to the rupturing device, and a detent or trip connected to the rupturing device and arranged in the path of a bolt to operate the rupturing-lever as the boltis retracted, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a seal-lock, the combination, with a bolt, of a seal-rupturing lever having a tooth or spur, a spring for holding the lever, a trip pivoted to the lever and having a lip which takes against one edge of the lever and having its other end in the path of the bolt, and a spring which controls the movement of the trip or detent in one direction,as and for the purpose described.

5. In a seal-lock, the combination, with a bolt, of a seal-rupturing lever having a tooth or spur, means for holding a seal in position to be torn by the lever, the tumblers, and a trip arranged in the path of the bolt and having movement in one direction independently of the lever and moving in the other direction simultaneously with the lever, the whole com-I bined to permit the projection of the bolt without operating the seal-rupturing lever and to hold the latter in position for instantaneous operation on the retrograde move ment of the bolt, as and for the purpose de scribed.

6. In a seal-lock, the combination, with a lock-casin g and a circularly-movable bolt, of a pillar-plate having a hollow central boss or annulus, a seal-rupturin g lever having a tooth or spur operating in and across the boss, a trip connected to the lever and arranged in the path of the bolt, and an adj ustableprotection-cover havinga protected viewing-opening in line with the boss or annulus of the pillar-plate, as and for the purpose described.

7. In a seal-lock, the combination of a case having a central opening, an annular circularly-movin g bolt guided in the casing, a sealrupturing device having its toothorspur operating in the opening and adapted to be moved when the bolt is retracted, anda hinged outside cover having a protected viewing opening through which the seal-rupturing lever is visible, said cover being provided with a keeper arranged to be engaged by the bolt on the projection of the latter, as and for the purpose described.

IIO

8. In a seal-lock, the combination, with a I circularly-moving bolt and a seal-rupturing In testimony whereof Iaffix my signaturein mechanism arranged for operation by the bolt presence of two Witnesses.

when the latter is retracted, of the tumblers,

each pivoted at an intermediate point of its JOHN B. PRICE. length and having the shoulders or nibs arranged on opposite sides of the fulcrum of the tumbler to take into notches therein, for the purpose described, substantially as set forth.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. THAYER, HENRY J. THAYER. 

